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CLUB NIGHT THIS FRIDAY 28th JUNE – Thorntree Inn @ 19:00
It is the Seventh Club Night of 2024. Hope you will try to come along and make this a bumper Club NIGHT.

We are a week early as most of us will be away on the 5th July to VHF Field Day down at Castle Douglas

I know some of you are still wary, but it would be still great to see you back.

If there are any changes to the above, I will send out an email and a post on the CPSARC Facebook Page.

** Note – As far as I can see the THORNTREE QUIZ NIGHT is not on this FRIDAY — so we will be in the Lounge Bar, otherwise we’ll be in the Public Bar at the Rear

It is the SIXTH Club Night of 2024. 

Hope you will try to come along and make this a bumper Club NIGHT. 

I know some of you are still wary, but it would be still great to see you back.

If there are any changes to the above we’ll let you know via Facebook

18:00 hours on Tuesday 28^th May 2024 North Berwick Law

North Berwick Law (GM/SS-280) is a fine SOTA peak!

The peak is modest at 178 metres high, and the western car park is about 40 metres ASL.

So, there is a 138-metre vertical distance to climb.

Meet at the North Berwick Law car park; UK Nat Grid NT553843 on the west side of the Law.

To get there take the B1347 heading south out of North Berwick. About 100 metres or so after you pass the Community Centre and High School on your right there is a sharp right-hand bend in the road with a narrow road going straight ahead (left) to the carpark.

Public transport could be used to North Berwick train station with a walk of about 2km to the car park.  From there plenty of well-worn tracks lead to the summit from where there are good views all around over East Lothian and out to some of the islands in the Firth of Forth such as Bass Rock, Fidra, The Lamb, Craigleith and on a good day, out to the Isle of May.  

Many thanks to Ken (GM0AXY) for this parking information who along with his wife Christine (GM4YMM) were the first people to radio from the summit.

The path is quite steep but there are no other ascent option. We are in no hurry to reach the top and we certainly do not want to be breathless on arrival, so the ascent will be slow and steady. It may be muddy. I suggest boots or stout shoes for walking up North Berwick Law, a warm and waterproof jacket and hat, portable and battery-operated radio kit, something to sit on – a camping mat or even a picnic chair is ideal but remember you must carry it both up and down the hill. Perhaps put everything in a rucksack and use walking poles if you have them, as they can also be used to secure an antenna wire.
We plan to spend a couple of hours on top using the radios. Everyone should bring a handie as there have been over one hundred 2 metre QSOs and a few on 70cms. The antenna folk might use for the 144MHz DF Fox Hunt event the week before would be portable and easily good enough.
If any CPSARC members do not plan to climb North Berwick Law, it would be good if they were on-air that evening on 2m or 70cms so we can make plenty of contacts. My own visit was on 19^th May 2013 and I made 8 QSOs on 2m, 5 of them with other SOTA activators on a summit in both Scotland and one in the Lake District in England.
On the SOTA website (https://summits.sota.org.uk/activity/GM/SS-280) there have been 58 occasions recorded when radio hams have broadcast from the top (16/4/2024), so it is a reliable radio summit. 
If anyone has battery operated portable HF radio gear and a suitable lightweight antenna, then please bring them along and we will see how many different bands we can use during the evening.
If the weather is not fine, there are areas where we can shelter from the rain or wind after setting up an HF antenna. But let us hope for good weather and good DX. 
If anyone has any questions, please get in touch; colwyn.jones@hotmail.com
See you on 28^th May.
73
Colwyn (MM0YCJ)

COCKENZIE & PORT SETON ARC 144MHz FOXHUNT RULES

Date: Friday 17th May 2024

Time: MEET AT 6:30PM FOR A BRIEFING PRIOR TO A 7:00PM START

Place: The CAR PARK at the Seafront (Where Old Pond Hall was)(From Edinburgh turn 1st Left past the Garage) PORT SETON

Grid Ref. NT408 759

ORDNANCE SURVEY LANDRANGER MAP No.66

Entry Fee: £2:00 PER PERSON, TO BE DONATED TO THE CLUB FUNDS

Frequency: 145.275MHz, FM, VERTICAL POLARISATION

Fox Call sign: GM1PLY/M

Fox Power & Antenna: MAXIMUM 1W : ANTENNA ¼ WAVE VERTICAL

Hunt Area: THE FOX WILL BE LOCATED WITHIN THE AREA ON ORDNANCE SURVEY LAND RANGER MAP No.66 BOUNDED BY THE FIRTH OF FORTH TO THE NORTH, THE LINE JOINING GRID REF. NT560728 and NT560855 TO THE EAST, THE LINE JOINING GRID REF. NT370728 and NT370738 TO THE WEST. A SMALL MAP SHOWING THIS AREA WILL BE ISSUED TO ALL COMPETITORS AT THE START.

TX Times: TRANSMISSIONS BY THE FOX WILL BE 30 SECONDS EVERY 5 MINUTES. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION BEGINNING AT 7:00PM, FOLLOWING TRANSMISSION TIMES WILL BE 7:05PM, 7: 10PM.etc. THE FINAL TRANSMISSION WILL BE AT 8:45PM AND WILL REVEAL THE LOCATION OF THE FOX AND THAT OF THE POST HUNT MEETING. (Normally the Lounge Bar in the Thorntree Inn)

Access: THE FOX WILL BE IN A POSITION WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE BY CAR(4WD NOT NECESSARY!)

TX Ban: NO TRANSMISSIONS, OTHER THAN THOSE OF THE FOX, SHOULD BE MADE ON THE HUNT FREQUENCY AT ANY TIME DURING THE EVENT

Vacate: ONCE A TEAM HAS FOUND THE FOX, THEY SHOULD LEAVE THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND SHOULD NOT TRANSMIT ON ANY FREQUENCY WHILE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FOX

Equipment: ONLY ONE SET OF DF EQUIPMENT IS TO BE USED PER TEAM AT ANY ONE TIME.

Hunting: DURING THE HUNT PLEASE TRY TO BE CONSIDERATE TO OTHER ROAD USERS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR STOPPING POINTS ANY TEAMS FOUND TO BE BREAKING THE ROAD SPEED LIMITS IN ANY AREA WILL BE DISQUALIFIED IMMEDIATELY SIMILARLY, ANY TEAMS FOUND TO BE BREAKING ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES WILL BE Disqualified

Winner: “THE HYBSZER TROPHY” WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE DF WINNER. THE TROPHY WAS DONATED BY RON GM0NTL IN MEMORY OF BILL GORDON MM0BXK/GM8ZLI WHO DIED IN JANUARY 2010.